Home Sweet Home. . .

... 9442 Ayscough was a great little place. I loved the layout of our home... the neighbors by our home... the elementary school & teachers near our home... the activities available near our home! Today we moved out of our home of 3 years. Tomorrow is the walk-through with the new homeowners and closing of our house. Feels so good to be able to sell before we leave for Guam... a true answer to prayer!

As I wiped down the counters and checked all the drawers in the kitchen - all I could say was, "this was a nice place to live for the last 3 years..." and feel like it's time to move on! I felt like that in Chesapeake, VA too! The most emotional about a "home" - was in our little 3rd floor apartment in Annapolis, Maryland - inside the Naval Academy. And we didn't even own the place. I LOVED IT THERE! I cried so hard when I was cleaning up that little place. My 3 older kids were babies there... I saw images of them learning how to walk down the hallways... the corners where I taught the boys how to stand in the "naughty spot"... the bathroom floor that I sat on for hours trying to teach Morgan how to be a big boy and potty! Morgan, Ryan & Dani all celebrated their 1st birthdays there! A lot happened in those 3 years and to think we lived on the top floor with NO elevator and 3 kids still learning how to walk & climb up stairs. I still remember them falling asleep in the car and I had to run each of them upstairs - one at a time. I was thinner then, I'm sure! ha! I called Annapolis - SURVIVAL TOUR! Not sure how we got through it - but we did! It was probably one of the toughest times in our marriage... but I know now it's what made us stronger and better!

Hmmm... sometimes easier is not always better... when things are tough - we learn to rise above and strive to be our best! Would I go back and do it all over? No, I'm happy at how independent my kids are now. . . one in diapers is a whole lot easier than all 3 in diapers! Phhheeww! I just hope that I will remember to enjoy MIA's growth & stages in life!

Maybe the difference between Annapolis (living on Phythian Road) was more emotional was because I was leaving with all the memories. And with Chesapeake (San Pedro Drive ) & Summerville (9442 Ayscough) we're just happy to sell the house!

We can't wait for our next adventure... Home is really where OUR family is. . . as long as we're together!

Friends|Family in AFRICA

http://www.newhopesos.blogspot.com

Our friends - CarynDave Wooster and my cousin/husband - GigiMonty Jacobs have been on a mission trip to Africa. I have been following their 2 1/2 week trip and through Caryn's blog can only imagine how changed they must be for being there! I am so proud of them for taking the time to HELP and touch those less fortunate. I ask that you keep them all in your prayers as they return home soon. Caryn's blog is located above.

A verse that helps... during this time!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Ahhh... sleep!

Sleep feels so good! Something I haven't really gotten a lot of lately! With all the packing and organizing and preparing for our move - I never felt like I had enough time in a day! Now that our things are out of our house and on it's way to GUAM I have a sense of relief! There truly is something to be said about living a "SIMPLE LIFE" Something I will grasp onto and hopefully hold on to when we move to GUAM! I ended up bringing a lot of stuff I probably needed to store in temporary storage - albums, photos, toys, etc. Three years seems like a short time - but it's not! There's a lot that happens during that time. I think about when we move back from Guam - Morgan will be a teenager (13), Ryan will be twelve and Dani 10 and sweet Mia will be 4! Just like our time here in SC went fast ... I am sure our time in Guam will speed by quickly too! I pray that our sweet dog - BELLA will still be alive when we move back. She will be living the retired life with my parents in Florida! The trip to Guam may be too much for her and so we're trying to spare her that traumatic experience. Dani is not too pleased about leaving her "sister" behind. Bella is turning 13 years old in September. She's such a great dog - sweet and loyal. Smart, too! The movers couldn't believe that she rang a "bell" to go outside to do her business.

We have about 30 days left here in hot & sticky South Carolina. We close on our house this thursday (July 31) and floating around until we fly out on the 25th. Actually - we do have a plan. We found a 4 bedroom Navy house on the Naval Weapons Station and right next to it is a RV park where Mom & Dad & Bella will set up "home" until we move. I'm still so thankful and amazed at how GOD's timing has been.

We will keep you posted on our whereabouts and we ask that you keep us in your prayers as we transition yet again!

-Dot

Keeping FOUR kids busy . . . during a move!

Today the kids are all playing with different friends or family. Mom Mom and Mia are bonding in the motorhome... I'm sure singing "the Wheels on the Bus" or doing some fun trick. Mia is full of "tricks" just like all the others before her! She's at such a fun stage! She went wild last night here in our almost "empty" house... screaming and imitating her big brothers & sister!


Ryan is playing next door at Jacob's house. He is the oldest of 4 kids... all sisters! Sarah (who is one of Dani's best friends & who we'll miss terribly & twins who are 3 yrs old!) It's nice to have another family with lots of kids - like us! Thanks Jennifer for letting my kids play at your house!



Daniella just went down the street to Madison's house to play until 3:30pm. THANKS so much Kelly & Madison for picking her up! These two were absolute BEST BUDS during their kindergarten class. They've remained GREAT friends... hard to believe they'll be going into 2nd grade next year!


Morgan is with his very first friend that he made here in SC... Shaquille, who lives right across the street from our house! This is a photo of them when they were in 2nd grade together. The neat thing about them is they became friends in the classroom and later discovered that they lived so close to each other! These guys are BIG 5th graders now! Wow! Thanks Frankie for letting the boys play today!


It's 11am... the move is moving along... the goal is to be done by tonight and my trusty little computer will be packed in a crate and sealed tight until we arrive in Guam! I didn't sleep much last night - reorganizing our luggage - streamlining it... searching for missing documents! I promise myself to be MORE organized from here on out... I say that every move!

So long for now!

It's now 12:36pm - editing my site - still LOTS to do as far as the move is concerned!

I CRASHED!

Last night - I CRASHED! With still so much to do and organize - I made a small list for Dale to do and then I layed down on the couch in the middle of the living room and ZONKED! For the last week I probably got an average of 4 hours sleep (if that)... my mind has just been reelin' with things to do and pack... DALE LET ME SLEEP and I slept for 10 hours! MUCH NEEDED! I did yell at him and say, "how could you let me do this!" He made NO apologys - said I needed it! He's right!

Well, the move is going great... I can't complain at all - there is a GREAT crew moving us! The first day was Wednesday and two sisters - Marie & Evelyn have been "packing & moving" people since 1969! HELLO - they started working when I was born! They are fantastic and so sweet! Then there's John - a steady worker... very nice. The main man TED, he's all business and just wants to get the job done... he sees me sneaking things in from the garage... I originally told him that not much was going to GUAM from our garage... oops! The heavy workers/movers are Laron & Shane - not very big guys... but they're strong & efficient hard workers! I appreciate how respectful everyone is and kind. We fill our cooler with gatorade, water & juice... and have even fed them lunch. It's just a small gesture of kindness for their hard work! I believe a little kindess always goes a long way... I hope my kids get that! One of the workers made a comment on how nice I was to them and how sometimes homeowners don't even talk to them. I find that so sad! I don't get it!

Hard to believe that this is MOVE #5 and each time our load gets bigger and bigger! I'm just thankful that I'm not the one having to pack and go! THANK YOU NAVY! To be honest, I like moving... exploring new parts of the world and being able to "clean house" and start fresh! To think we may only have to do this 2 more times... hmmm - what will I do?

BIG THANKS goes to my parents who have kept the kids out of the way and entertained them and put them to bed & FEED THEM. BIG THANKS to my friends who have let my kids come over to play. My friend Darcy - thank you for the last two days... taking my kids to the pool, feeding them and today taking them all to the movies! I know you've done this NAVY move thing before - so I know you know what I'm going through! I love ya, girlfriend!

My computer gets packed up tomorrow... what will I do!? The laptop works - but just not the same! Signing off...

Me from A to Z
A. Attached or single? Attached - happily married for 13 years
B. Best friend(s)? Well my youngest daughter's middle names are in honor of them "Elena" is for Helen & "Carin" is for Caryn!
C. Cake or pie? Chocolate Cake
D. Day of choice? Saturday – love my day of rest!
E. Essential item? AIR CONDITIONING (I'll have to agree!) oh and WATER!
F. Favorite color? Red!
G. Gummy bears or worms? Worms
H. Home town? Douglassville, PA
I. Favorite indulgence? Full body massage and a pedicure manicure all in one day!
J. January or July? July...hate the after Christmas blues!
K. Kids? I'm blessed with 4 - 2 boys and 2 girls!
L. Life is not complete without? Jesus!
M. Marriage date? The legal one...Apr 12, 1995 The one for fun... July 2, 1995 - Because we were moving to Sicily soon after our wedding date - we had to get a jump start on the paperwork... hence the "legal date"... we only celebrate July 2nd...
N. Number of brothers and sisters? 1 brother & I miss him
O. Oranges or Apples? Apples
P. Phobias? hmmm... the fear of my kids not listening to me when I talk! ha!
Q. Quote? * read the top of my blog
R. Reasons to smile? I've lost like 40 lbs since February - something's finally clicking!
S. Season of choice? FALL
T. Tag 5 people – anyone can join in if you wish and PLEASE DO - the more the merrier!!
U. Unknown fact about me? I don't like to be up front talking
V. Vegetable? Spinach (salad)
W. Worst habit? on the computer
X. X-ray or ultrasound? Ultrasound – loved seeing my babies!
Y. Your favorite food? thai
Z. Zodiac sign? Libra

... sleep? who needs sleep?

ME... I need sleep! I haven't been sleeping much this past week. Can't stop thinking about JR and his family. The memorial service on Sunday was extremely emotional and draining. It was a celebration of JR's life though - and it's amazing how many lives he touched in such a short time! I've started a blog for the family - if you could visit it and sign the guestbook and let them know you care - would mean a lot! Thanks! http://jrlipat.blogspot.com/



JR - Your LIGHT will always shine in our hearts! You will NEVER EVER be forgotten!

(Ate) Ivy . Luz (Mama) . Rachel . Ruel (Papa)


It's crunch time and the movers (part 1 of 3 movers) starts packing us out this week (wednesday). It's times like these that I kick myself for being such a procrastinator! I'm slow to start things - but work better under pressure! Ugh! There are 3 parts of our move: 1. The stuff going to Guam 2. The EXPRESS shipment (small shipment) going to GUAM 3. The storage items that will stay behind.


I'm so thankful my parents are here - like ALL SUMMER! What would I do without my parents? They are something else! Mom is always doing something... sewing or cleaning out all the food in the fridge and pantry - while Mia's cheeks are exploding from all the new things she's trying! Did I mention my daughter LOVES to eat? Mia LOVES to eat! It's funny to see her get passionate about her food - hmmm, I wonder where she gets that one from?


My dad - he's either fixing or cleaning something - or playing the piano and hangin' with the kids! They are so full of energy and I'm so thankful for them! The kids are sleeping in the motorhome many nights - and it gives us time to focus on the stuff here at home. My mom says I'd get more done if I would - STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER! Ha! She knows me all too well! This is my mental "break" - blogging and staying connected! But she's right - I would get more done!


Anyway... I guess I should "step away" and get more done! Here's a few pics from our week...

98 days . 20 showings . 1 offer = UNDER CONTRACT

Some really great news after an exhausting week - our realtor called and told us we have an offer on our house. YES - The LORD is good and all our prayers for "patience" and HIS timing is starting to unfold! We continue to pray as we always know, in todays housing market - anything can happen! Seems ligit though... the new movers are also military - have been living in a hotel and are ready to close at the end of this month! Good thing we decided to have the movers come pick up our things and ship to GUAM by the 28th of this month! IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME HOW EVERYTHING ALWAYS FALLS RIGHT INTO PLACE!

Our realtor came over to our house last night and we signed all the paperwork and with the buyers agreeing to full asking price as long as we pay for the closing costs seemed like a fair deal to us!

What did we do to stand out among the MANY houses on our neighborhood? Perhaps it was the freshly baked cookies I made and left out on the table for every "showing"! Maybe it was the incredibly clean home that I labored and sweated over daily! The TV's were always turned on softly to HGTV and all our lights were on - just like any model home you would walk into. Could it have been there was NO SIGHT of Bella at any of our showings - thanks to our neighbor Ashley who gave me her key to her house so we can "hide out" at any time of the day?! We also offered our RED SECTIONAL COUCH and 17" Wall Mounted TV in the kitchen to convey with the home if the closing was by the end of JULY!

On our last showing - wouldn't you know... EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE. We were out doing "Guam Navy check out stuff" - my parents had to go to the house to pick up Bella and turn on the lights and make sure everything was in place.

... Plus, they were the only ones who actually ATE MY COOKIES and read the only sign that I displayed & changed right before they came to see the house the night before... (yes, this was their 2nd showing) "... movers coming on July 28th - so if interested in the RED COUCH and TV in kitchen - you must act NOW". Wrote that note and within 12 hours we had a contract in our hands!

... Ahhhh - just breathe -

... a heavy heart

Last night we got a very sad phone call! Little JR (Joshua Ruel Lipat) died at the age of 9! We've known the Lipat family since we moved here to South Carolina. They have been a part of our lives for 3 wonderful years! The Lipats are a solid Christian Family and are raising beautiful and respectful kids! The boys always LOVED sitting next to JR at church and spending time together whenever they could! JR died of a severe asthma attack on Tuesday evening - July 15th.

JR with his family - Luz (Mom), Ruel (Dad), Ivy & Rachel (sisters)

Ryan & JR

We were just getting home from a SWIM MEET & pulling into our driveway around 10:15pm when Dale got the phone call from our friend Jay that little JR had passed away! I was in complete shock and chills came over me! I tried to call Luz (the mom) - but no one answered... I wasn't surprised - I'm sure their phone was ringing OFF the hook! At around 11pm Rachel (the youngest daughter) called me from her cellphone crying asking us to come to the hospital to be with her and her family. Without hesitation - all the kids (minus baby Mia who was with my parents) we headed to the hospital.

I am 38 years old and that was MY FIRST time to walk into a hospital room and witness death in front of my eyes! My kids witnessed it now at their young age and I know that was a lot for them to handle! It also gave us the opportunity to talk about death and about life and how precious it is! We talked about how JR was always so thoughtful and loving! His sweet character and wonderful friendship! We all hugged... we cried... we prayed! My heart felt so heavy...

This afternoon I found Morgan laying down on the bed - real quiet and so I asked him how he was doing after everything that happened last night! Morgan turned to me and looked at me with tears filled in his eyes he said, "Mommy, I just wish I could see him one more time" I about lost it! Losing a friend at such a young age... at any age - is tough! Imagine what his sisters must be feeling... his parents... his entire family!

Let's keep the LIPATS in our prayers as this is a very difficult time for them!

Daniella's 7th B'day Party - (JR is by Ryan)

... vacation Bible School

... at Morgan's 9th B'day Party last year 2007

I asked Morgan what he would want to say to JR if he had a chance to see him again - Morgan said, "I'd thank him for being MY FRIEND"

WE LOVE YOU, JR! Thank you for being such a good friend and being such a beautiful example to all those that you came to know! We are so blessed to have had you in our lives! Rest In Peace...

... car accident

As always - it was a busy busy day today! 7:30 am swim practice at the pool for the kids... at 8:30am I got a phone call that our house was going to show between 10:45 - 12:30pm... so I cleaned the house & straighted up like frantic... ran to the clinic to get Mia checked by the doctor (she's been running a fever & not eating well)... came back home and folded laundry and organized more papers... around dinner time as I was talking to a girlfriend on the phone - my parents waved "good-bye" and headed out the door with Mia. You see, my parents are spending most of the summer here with us before we head off to Guam... they have their motorcoach parked in a campground to retreat to every evening. Mia has been staying with them every night... and sometimes ALL the kids sleep over there.

-photo taken in Malibu, CA @ my cousin Jenny & Rob's wedding

A little after 5pm my cellphone rings and it's my mom. Her voice was a bit shakey and she tells me that they just got in a car accident... they were okay but I needed to come. Within 1 minute, the 3 older kiddos & I were headed down the road. The drive seemed long - but it really only took us about 10 minutes to get to them! It was just starting to rain and when we got there my dad was sitting in their car holding baby Mia... and my mom was in the ambulance getting checked. Mom had scrapes & scratches from the glass and Mia's entire seat was covered with glass... I'm so amazed that Mia hardly was scratched! Turns out that the guy who hit my parents car is diabetic and his blood sugar was low... he didn't seem all together! He tried to make a U-turn and didn't even see my parents car... and clipped the front of the drivers side and pushed their car down the side of the road into a church parking lot. PRAISE GOD THAT EVERYONE WAS OKAY! IT COULD'VE BEEN SO MUCH WORSE! My sweet Ryan was so worried about his MomMom (all the kids were)... but Ryan wanted so badly to see MomMom in the ambulance and as soon as he saw her with her cuts on her face... he just started crying and was genuinely worried about her! Of course, that made Daniella cry and Morgan got angry and wanted to throw the man that hit them in jail! There were a lot of emotions flying around!


-Mia has bonded with MomMom since they've been here and she LOVES going to the motorhome with them! She waves "bye-bye" to me... which is rare - because she usually is so clingy to me!! I LOVE SEEING HER CONNECT WITH MY PARENTS and finally detaching a bit from me!

I'm amazed at how in an instant things can change... What seemed like a mundane kind of day ... got thrown for a loop & I often wonder how many times God has protected us from near misses or potential accidents. You just never know! I'm so thankful that my parents are okay. That Mia is okay. Those of you that know my parents - know that they are beyond amazing and beyond awesome! They are always ready to help and are so energetic! They know how to enjoy life! Thank You Lord for protecting my family today! I can't even imagine life without them!


-playing peek-a-boo with MomMom!


-Mia LOVES her PopPop!

One of my favorite Bible texts is: Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

It is important, imperative actually, that we understand the context of passages from the Bible. Even if you omit the contextualized words "plans to prosper you and not to harm you", I believe this verse still has a very powerful message: God knows us personally, has a plan for us, and allows us to find hope in Him.

Rockin' w/ Ms. Nunez

The other day - Daniella's 1st grade teacher came over to drop off her END OF THE SCHOOLYEAR gift to Dani... since we missed the last few days of school! Daniella was so excited to have her teacher come over to the house and just hang out and play for a bit. The kids even got her to play ROCK-BAND with them... she played the guitar... sang... and even tried the drums! YOU ROCK, MS. NUNEZ! Thanks for stopping by! We will miss you next year!

f . r . i . e . n . d . s . h . i . p .

I've watched Daniella blossom from a timid little 4 year old (when we first moved here) to an energetic and expressive sweet 7 year old. She's made some very nice friends here in the neighborhood that I wanted to document this time in her life. I know how much I value my girlfriends and the friendships that I share... and even though we are a military family and continue to move around - I hope that Dani will also learn to value her friends too. To make GOOD choices in her friends and to also be a GOOD example to them.

Mary & Hailey live across the street from us and Sarah is our next door neighbor. We will surely miss them when we move to Guam. The girls LOVE to play "school", "restaurant" and just act silly! Yesterday I promised the girls that we would go to the park near our pool and take some photos together so they'll always remember their special friendship... here are a few of the snapshots...

F*R*I*E*N*D*S * * F*O*R*E*V*E*R*

Sarah (9); Hailey (7); Mary (10) & Daniella (7)

While taking these photos - the girls kept commenting on how they felt like "STARS" and how it must feel to be a model! As a mommy of 2 girls - I hope to instill that confidence in my girls so they will always know how special & powerful they are... and how beautiful they should be INSIDE and OUT!

... I'll be watchin' this one!

This is Ryan when he just turned 3 years old! We were living in Chesapeake, Virginia at the time when I tried this little experiment with my boys. Daniella was taking a nap in her room when I called Morgan & Ryan to our kitchen table. They came quickly. I put a bowl full of mini-marshmellow's in front of each of them and quickly told them these instructions:

"Boys, I have a snack for you! You can eat these marshmellows now and that's all you will get... OR you can wait until Mommy comes back and I'll give you more. You ONLY get more if you wait and not eat any until I come back, okay?" They both agreed and Ryan was very excited, while Morgan remained relatively calm. I quickly ran upstairs and little did the boys know - I ran down the front stairs of our house & peeked around the corner to WATCH THEM!

What I saw cracked me up! Morgan - still remaining calm just sat at the table not really doing anything. Ryan was fidgetty (he always was and still is today - 6 years later) he kept tapping on the table & looking at his bowl of yummy marshmellows!

Finally I heard Ryan say, "Morgan, are you going to eat one?" Morgan answered with a firm, "NO".

Next, Ryan picked a marshmellow up and Morgan looked at Ryan and said, "Don't eat it or you won't get more". Ryan answered, "It's okay"... and not quite eating it... he gave the marshmellow a LICK! Oooh, Morgan couldn't believe what he was seeing! And I was around the corner with my mouth wide open thinking... "that little stinker!"

Morgan watched as his little brother Ryan licked that marshmellow until he couldn't stand it anymore... and he popped it right into his mouth and swallowed! All I heard was, "RYAN, DON'T!" from his big brother!

*** This all took place within probably 3-4 minutes.

With that... I ran back upstairs... and came down the back steps that led into the kitchen to find Ryan polishing off the last bits of his marshmellows. Morgan sat there and waited for me to get in the kitchen then asked, "can I eat them now, Mommy"... I said, "SURE".

When Morgan finished his bowl - I filled it up again and gave him more to reward his patience. Then Ryan, with his sweet little face, held out his bowl and wanted more... but I said, "No, sweetie... you decided to eat it while I was upstairs so that's all you get". We had some whining and begging for more... but I wrapped the marshmellows and put them away.

This story recently came up while driving in the car... I told the boys about it and of course they didn't remember it... well, it still remains in my mind - because even though these were JUST MARSHMELLOWS... tomorrow or in the future it could be something else! I'll be watchin' this one - definitely!

Look at Ryan blocking out Morgan in this photo...

Morgan has got to be the most patient BIG BROTHER in the entire world! But I know he couldn't even imagine LIFE without his silly little brother - Ryan!

THIS IS THE LITTLE GUY THAT WILL DEFINITELY KEEP US ON OUR TOES! I'm watchin' you! I'm watchin' ALL of you! It's my mommy duty... because I LOVE YOU!

... six years later - STILL trying to teach them to make GOOD choices! It's a never ending learning process with kids! Consistency & Love & definitely Patience (which sometimes we lack) is key! But working together and keeping CHRIST centered has been what works best for our family!

Rollings School of the ARTS

In late September 2007 - there were auditions for 3rd - 5th graders to try out for a slot in the GATEWAY program at Rollings School of the Arts in Summerville, SC. The areas to try out for were: Instrumental Music, Vocals, Theater, Dance & Art. I encouraged Morgan to try out and he decided to play his favorite piano piece at the time - Sonata I by Mozart. HE MADE IT!

** this is the day Morgan tried out for Rollings - Gateway program... he was dressed for success!

In May - the group took a field trip to the Arts Festival in North Charleston. I was lucky to be able to chaperone a small group and enjoy a day out with my big guy - Morgan!

The Gateway kids met at Rollings Middle School of the Arts about 6 times during the schoolyear... and then a 2 week session in mid-June.

JUNE 20th, 2008 - We got an early preview of the performances that they were preparing for THE GATEWAY FESTIVAL. It was neat to watch all the kids in action!

MomMom & PopPop Pan were able to come and watch all the kids perform...

There were STRINGS..... DRUMS.... Theater.... Dance .... Artwork .... and Vocals

Morgan said his favorite part of Gateway was the DRUMS! It was my favorite performance to watch, too!